Test Taking Tips: Parents Helping Their Students

1. Test Taking Tips: Parents Helping Their Students April 10, 2014 Natalie Immings, Academic Coach This resource and related links can be accessed at: swmsresources.weebly.com

2. Agenda • Introductions • Studying with Your Student • Testing Strategies • Online Resources • Physically & Mentally Preparing Your Student • CRCT Parent Volunteers

3. Test Taking Strategies • Understanding the real question • Highlighting key terms • Reading long passages • Looking at pictures, graphs & answer options first • Graphs, Diagrams or Pictures • What do I know to be true?

4. Understanding the Real Question • John gets price quotes from two different lawn-mowing services for the cost of mowing the field next to his house. Company A charges $8 plus an additional $5 per hour. Company B charges $2 plus an additional $6 per hour. The total price quote for each company is the same amount. How many hours do the companies estimate it will take to mow the field? • Which sentence should be removed because it does NOT support the purpose of the letter? • 1st – Where is the question? • Find the question mark and read that statement. [# hours to mow] • Read the background section & list key details: • A = $8 base + $5/hour • B = $2 base + $6/hour • After work is done, charge same total. • 2nd – Does the question say NOT? This means three will be “true” and the “correct” answer is the “not true” choice.

5. Understanding the Impact of the Question Wording • 1.) Samuel is writing a research paper on the benefits of music education for middle school students. Which resource would be the BEST for him to use and why? • 2.) Why does the speaker MOST LIKELY refer to the cat as my brave hunter? • A The speaker is using a pun to show how silly the cat is. • B The speaker is using irony to create humor about the real nature of the cat. • C The speaker is using a comparison to demonstrate how fierce the cat is. • D The speaker is using personification to illustrate how much suspense the cat is experiencing. • Does the question say BEST, MOST/MOST LIKELY? This means that all answer options may be logical, so which is the strongest?

6. Highlighting Key Terms • How would the connotation of the sentence be changed if the author replaced mumbled with grunted? • a. the attitude of the characters would be more energetic • b. the tone of the sentence would be more confusing • c. the tone of the sentence would seem more humorous • d. the attitude of the characters would seem ruder • 1st – Pull out 2-3 words that seem to be the main focus of the question • Connotation • Mumbled • Grunted • 2nd – What if I don’t know a word? – Use what makes sense to you. • Ex. If I don’t know connotation, I do know there is a difference between mumble and grunt. So what is the relationship between these? Now try to answer the question.

7. Highlighting Key Terms • A recipe uses 12 cups of mashed raspberries to make raspberry jam. • How many quarts of mashed raspberries are needed to make the raspberry jam? • (2 cups = 1 pint) • (2 pints= 1 quart) • Some questions are multiple sentences because they give background information first. • 1st – Find the question mark and read that statement. • What is this asking? • – QUARTS • 2nd – Read the other statement and ask “So what do I know?” • – CUPS • So now I know I have to go from cups to quarts.

8. Reading Long Passages 1st – If reading long text is overwhelming – use a cover sheet and only uncover as you read. 2nd – Pause after a paragraph to write a single word or phrase that captures the main idea or point so it is faster and easier to look back for answers • Anna was concerned. In a few short weeks, she would be starting middle school. At first, she hadn’t worried about it too much. As the summer went on, though, she thought about it more and more. In previous years, Anna had always been a little excited about going back to school. However, this year school seemed like a treacherous jungle full of unknown dangers, and she was standing just on the edge of it. Her mom smiled and told her not to worry. She told Anna that it might seem difficult at first, but in time, she’d get used to it. Anna wasn’t so sure. It seemed like she would never be ready for middle school, not in a million years! • With just a week to go before the first day of school, Anna had to go with her parents to a barbecue thrown by their neighbors, the Kleins. As she stood in the Kleins’ backyard, she found herself thinking about everything that she had heard about middle school. What if her classes were too hard? What if she couldn’t keep up with the homework? Plus, she had never had to change rooms for different classes before. She just knew that she would somehow end up lost or in the wrong class and that everyone would laugh at her. Anna was sure that no one else felt the way that she did. BBQ Lost at School Worried School

9. Looking at the Graphic First • 1st - What do I see? • Three tracks and an angle measurement • 2nd - What could I figure out? • I could figure out the other angles where B crosses A or C • Read the question & answer options What is the measure of the angle, x, formed by the intersection of Track B and Track C? 30 degrees B. 50 degrees C. 150 degrees D. 180 degrees

10. Looking at Answer Options First • A student lights a candle and wax begins to melt. Which statement describes the movement of the particles as the solid candle melts to a liquid? • A. Particles move faster & farther apart • B. Particles move slower & farther apart • C. Particles move faster & closer together • D. Particles move slower & closer together • 1st - Read the answer options and identify the potential topic of the question. • Heat/Cold/Temperature • 2nd - Identify which statements you know to be true – star those. • A. True if about heat temp • D. True if about cold temp • 3rd - Read the question.

11. Practice With Your Student & Remind Them of General Test Taking Tips • Read the entire question first.  • Read all answer choices before choosing the correct answer.  • Try to logically eliminate at least one or two answer options before “guessing” • Visualize where your teacher wrote the information on the board or you wrote in your notes • If a question is too difficult or confusing, put a star in the booklet and move on. Return near the end of the time.

12. General Test Taking Tips • Don’t expect to find a pattern in the positions of correct answers • Stick with your first answer. Students shouldn’t second-guess themselves; their first answer is probably right. They shouldn’t change answers unless they’re certain that their first answer was wrong. • Pace yourself. Students budget their time wisely so they’ll be able to finish the test. They don’t spend too much time on any one question. • Check your work carefully. Students check that they’ve answered every question, if they finish early.

13. Online Resources

14. Online Resources State & District Resources Aligned Resources • Georgia CRCT Study Guides by Grade (all subjects) https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/CRCT-Study-Guides.aspx • Compass Learning (math) www.thelearningodyssey.com • User Name: (First 3 of first & last names + last 4 of lunch number) Ex. jansmi4567 • Password: password • School: savannah • 6th Grade Math: http://www.ixl.com/standards/georgia/math/grade-6 • 7th Grade Math: http://www.ixl.com/standards/georgia/math/grade-7 • 8th Grade Math: http://www.ixl.com/standards/georgia/math/grade-8 • Links to Learning Practice CRCT Tests: http://www.linkstolearning.com/links/Atlanta/Test%20Prep/CRCT/crct.htm • Practices Tests: http://prepdog.org/ Add “the”

15. Additional Online Resources • McGraw Hill Science CRCT Review • 6th Grade: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078778441/student_view0/crct_practice.html • 7th Grade: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078778425/student_view0/crct_practice.html • 8th Grade: http://novella.mhhe.com/sites/0078778468/student_view0/crct_practice.html

16. General Technology Resources • Quizlet • Website and app for tablets/phones • Students can create flashcards and study materials • Students can download or share flashcards • Social Studies Resources: • 6th Grade Review: http://quizlet.com/subject/6th-grade-social-studies-crct/ • 7th Grade Review: http://quizlet.com/subject/7th-social-studies-crct/ • Georgia Studies Review: http://quizlet.com/subject/Georgia-Studies-CRCT/

17. Preparing Your Student Physical & Mental Preparation

18. Physical Preparation • Ensure they are getting 8 hours of sleep several nights in a row to be well rested. • Students get breakfast at school; however if you are able to provide a healthy, non-sugary breakfast with protein, this promotes brain energy. • If your child has a medical prescription for a health issue such as ADHD, please ensure they take the proper dosage or that the nurse has the ability to dispense it. Do not send it with your child. • See if they have erasers or pencils in addition to what the school may provide

19. Mental Preparation • Encourage your student that he/she can do well • Encourage your student to do their best • Practice relaxation and focus techniques: • Close eyes and breath in for count of five, then out for count of five

20. Wrap Up Workshop Evaluation Survey CRCT Volunteers

21. Are you available to volunteer? • CRCT Test Dates • April 23, 24 & 25th • April 30th & May 1st • Training • All volunteers must attend one training session about state protocols • April 14th, 15th or 16th • 7:45am or 1:30pm You will be contact by one of the following: Ms. Heilman, testing coordinator Ms. Reid, Principal